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US and Israeli officials remain uncertain of Iranian involvement in Hamas attack

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:03 GMT

U.S. and Israeli officials say they remain unsure whether Iran was definitively involved in Hamas’ surprise weekend attack on Israel, which has spiraled into one of the region’s worst spells of violence in decades.“We have no evidence or proof” that Iran was behind it, but Israel also didn’t have intelligence to see the attack coming, Maj. Nir Dinar, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, told POLITICO on Monday. “We are 100 percent sure that the Iranians were not surprised.”“Just because you don’t have that evidence doesn’t necessarily mean Iran isn’t behind it,” he added.Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, has long received extensive backing and aid from Iran and allied governments in the region — a relationship that quickly led some to point fingers at Tehran in the eruption of warfare on Saturday. Compounding the questions in Washington and beyond about potential Iranian involvement was a Wall Street Journal report from Sunday evening,...

Retired Vermont university dean found shot to death on a trail near campus. Now police are looking for her killer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:03 GMT

(CNN) — A retired university dean was found shot in the head on a hiking trail near the Vermont State University Castleton Campus where she’d worked, and authorities are searching for whoever killed the beloved educator.Honoree Fleming, a retired dean of education at the university and wife of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Powers, is believed to have entered the trail near campus around 4 p.m. Thursday and was found dead less than an hour later, Vermont State Police said.A medical examiner determined Fleming, 77, was killed by the gunshot wound, police said.As of Saturday, no suspect had been arrested.“The suspect is considered armed and dangerous,” Vermont State Police said. “The public is urged to remain vigilant and alert for suspicious person(s) and activities and to report anything suspicious to the Vermont State Police at 802-773-9101. Tips also may be submitted anonymously online.”Police are looking for a “person of interest” described as a male with s...

Quick Fix: Curried Coconut Beef is delicious and comforting meal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:03 GMT

Linda Gassenheimer | Tribune News Service (TNS)Fragrant spices add great flavor to this easy beef curry dinner. The combination of tender beef, diced tomatoes and coconut milk creates a delicious and comforting meal. It’s served over basmati rice. This is a type of long-grain aromatic white rice. Happily, it’s available in a microwave version, which means you can make the side dish in minutes and there’s no pot to wash.A hint about the curry powder for this dish. The curry powder sold in supermarkets is a blend of about 15 herbs, spices and seeds. This type of powder loses its flavor quickly. If you have curry powder that is more than 6 months old, buy a new one. It will add more flavor to the dish.Helpful Hints:— You can use 4 crushed garlic cloves instead of 2 teaspoons minced garlic.— You can use chopped sweet onion instead of frozen chopped onion.— A quick way to defrost the peas and onion is to place them in a sieve and run hot tap water over them.— Brown rice can be used inste...

Which DIY projects save the most money?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:03 GMT

Taylor Freitas | Bankrate.com (TNS)Some do it for the love of it. But many people undertake DIY projects to save money. And doing home remodels, renovations and repairs yourself can, indeed, save thousands of dollars. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest American Housing Survey (AHS), the average home improvement project costs $6,352 when professionally done — vs. $2,502 for do-it-yourself.But not all DIY projects are created equal when it comes to being cost-effective. Theoretically, you could tile your floors yourself for one-third of what the pros cost, for example. But given the additional need for expensive equipment, a skilled touch, and lots of time to do the job right, the savings often add up to less than you anticipate.Here is a guide to identifying the most useful DIY projects that actually save money, along with some examples.Home renovation dataWhile economic concerns have slowed some homeowners’ renovation plans, many are still going forward with their projects...

Californian claims one of nation's $1 million Powerball tickets

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:03 GMT

(FOX40.COM) -- Although there were no grand prize winners during Saturday night's Powerball drawing, over 600,000 winning tickets were drawn in California, according to the California Lottery. The lucky numbers for the Oct. 7 drawing were, 47, 54, 57, 60, 65, and the Powerball was 19. Highway 50 construction: How much longer until it’s finally finished? According to the California Lottery, there were 603,340 winning tickets across the Golden State amounting to a total winning amount of around $4.7 million in prizes. California's big winner of the night came from a ticket sold at Town & Country Market at 600 Post Street, San Francisco that matched all five numbers but missed the Powerball. Annual Black Film Festival returns to St. Hope’s Guild Theater That winner is able to claim their prize of $1.3 million. Only nine other people in the country matched five numbers. The bulk of the state's winners, 397,712 tickets, guessed only the Powerball number and won their prize of $4...

Israeli media say death toll in Israel from Hamas attack rises to 900

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:03 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli media are reporting Monday that more than 900 people were killed in Hamas’ multi-pronged attack on the country’s south.The rising death toll comes as Israel has ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip, from which Hamas launched the onslaught.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Israel’s military ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip on Monday, halting deliveries of food, water, fuel and supplies to its 2.3 million people as it pounded the Hamas-ruled territory with waves of airstrikes in retaliation for the militants’ bloody weekend incursion.More than two days after Hamas launched its surprise attack, the Israeli military said it had largely gained control in its southern towns where it had been battling Hamas gunmen. Israel’s vaunted military and intelligence apparatus was caught completely off guard by Hamas, resulting in heavy battles in its streets for the first time in decades.Israeli tanks and drones were dep...

Misty Copeland’s dedication to inclusion spans many projects – and her push for new dance emojis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:03 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Misty Copeland has her hands (and feet!) in many different projects simultaneously, but all are motivated by her passion to use her platform to promote diversity in all the spaces she inhabits.The first Black woman to be promoted to principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre in 2015, Copeland says she never takes that opportunity for granted. Beyond performing, she says she feels a responsibility to show the importance of representation, and work on projects that are an extension of who she is as a dancer.Her influence has transcended the stage to author, head of her own production company and charitable foundation, and now co-founder and designer of a new athletic wear brand, Greatness Wins, that focuses on clothing for women of all ages and body types.Copeland also likes to try new things that scare her so she’s taken on the role of interviewer on a new show called “PBS Arts Talk,” where she recently interviewed painter Nathaniel Mary Quinn and dancer and cho...

For years, they trusted the army to defend and inform them. Now many Israelis feel abandoned

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:03 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — It was, they thought, an ironclad social contract. Israeli citizens would serve in the military and live along enemy borders. In exchange, the army would defend them.That contract was shattered Saturday when hundreds of Hamas militants breached Israel’s defenses from the Gaza Strip, pouring in by air, land and sea on a rampage that would leave hundreds dead. The infiltration caught Israel’s storied high-tech army completely unaware and stunned a country that prides itself on military prowess. Further shocking Israelis was how long it took the military to respond. As thousands in southern Israel suddenly found themselves besieged, their cries for help went unanswered for hours. Holed up inside homes and safe rooms as militants sprayed bullets, torched homes and hurled grenades, they turned in desperation to social media, to journalists and to friends, beseeching the army to save them. The weekend attacks and the military’s response brought an unsettling new sen...

IMF and World Bank pledge Africa focus at first meetings on the continent in 50 years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:03 GMT

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — In the shadow of a deadly earthquake in Morocco that caused nearly $12 billion in damage, the world’s most powerful economic policymakers said they would focus on Africa as they work to grow and stabilizing the global economy during times of war, inequality and climate change.The International Monetary Fund and World Bank are holding their annual meetings in Africa for the first time in 50 years as they face a growing chorus of criticism that poorer nations are underrepresented at the two institutions. Both have recently said they plan to give Africa additional seats on their executive boards. The conference theme was clear Monday during the gathering in Marrakech, although definitive details had yet to be discussed.“We’re here, Africa,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on a panel with African entrepreneurs.Often lenders of last resort, the IMF and the World Bank use billions in loans and assistance to buoy struggling economies an...

Pakistan ‘extremely disappointed’ over Cricket World Cup visa delay by India for media and fans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:03 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Pakistan Cricket Board has expressed “extreme disappointment” about a delay in the issuing of Indian visas to its country’s journalists and fans for the World Cup.The chairman of the PCB management committee, Zaka Ashraf, met with Pakistan foreign secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi on Monday and asked him to take up the matter with India’s home ministry through Pakistan’s high commission in New Delhi.“The PCB is extremely disappointed to see that journalists from Pakistan and fans are still facing uncertainty about obtaining an Indian visa,” it said in a statement.Around 50 Pakistan journalists, accredited by the International Cricket Council governing body, are uncertain when they will get their visas, with Pakistan scheduled to play its second game against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad on Tuesday.The Pakistan team received its visas less than 36 hours before it was due to fly to Hyderabad via Dubai last month. The delay in the issuing of the player visa forced the PCB...